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(Snippets from Carol Mkize’s message at the Every Nation World Conference 2016 Day 3)

Ukunqoba is a word that means overcomer.

You are an overcomer because God abides in you.

Intimacy with God will drive you to continue when you are no longer with other people.

You will overcome because God’s word abides in you.

Chaos is fertile ground for Christians.

Everything we learned we can now apply in the campus.

1 Samuel 17:38-40: Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them.“I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.

To (Spiritual) Fathers:
What God used for you to overcome, it might be time to put it down.

In 1983, it was a mere $100 million.
By the time 2007 hit, it ballooned to a whopping $17 billion.

Advertisers and companies seemed to think it was worth their money because research tell us (www.globalissues.org) that teens spend about $160 billion for their gadgets, clothing, food, games among many other things. Those who are in their “tweens” (8-12 year olds), spend about $30 billion. Those who are under 12, influence their parents to spend about $670 billion per year.

If Nike, Xbox, and Mcdonalds see this, why can’t we?

We obviously don’t have the billions they have, but we have a gospel that is powerful to make a difference not just for a game or two, or for a year or two, not even for a decade but for all of eternity.

Hannah prayed to have a son and God granted her request in 1 Samuel 1.

What can we learn from her story?

1. Pray for the next generation.

Hannah prayed to the Lord for Samuel.

We need to pray for the next generation. With all the bombardments from all sides, growing up in this environment these days can be challenging.
We need to pray that they will hear meet God early in life and desire to live for Him the rest of their lives.

2. Prepare the next generation.

Hannah waited until Samuel was weaned.

Time will come that we will have to release the next generation to fight their own battles.
We cannot always be there and we should not even try.
Not letting them fight their battles will end up emasculating them.

Our goal is to see them become less dependent on us and more dependent on God.

3. Mentor the next generation.

Hannah found someone who can mentor Samuel with her – Eli.

We need to see the value of multiple anchors.
It’s nice to dream that our kids will always hear what we say.
But input from others in invaluable.

I’m thankful for David, Rich, Joey and Joe who have mentored my son Nathan all through these years.
I’m grateful for Rica, Dar, Carla who have taken time to impart faith and life into the life of my daughter Janina.

Raising the next generation is so much better when we have partners who can help us.

Oh another thing, it is also great to bring our children into an environment where they can encounter God, hear the gospel of Christ and receive Him as Lord and Savior.

Our kids ministry at Victory Fort recently had their Camp Equip for the pre teens and it was absolutely powerful.
Watch the video below.

To see what you’ve never seen, you’ll have to do what has never been done. (Ed Silvoso)

God has given us the mission mandate and the prayer mandate.The mission mandate —> Matthew 2818-20. Go and make disciples of all nations.The prayer mandate —> Matthew 9:38. Pray … to send forth workers…

This generation has become a fatherless generation.Today’s modern day orphans are those that are being parented by iPads, cable TV and Facebook. (Jerome Ocampo)

I got an email yesterday that made my day. I’ve always believed in reaching the next generation – that it’s never too early to talk to them about Jesus. As we plant the seed, someone else waters, ultimately, it is God who makes it grow.

To all those who teach in Kids Church and reach out to the next generation, I hope you will be encouraged by this email.

Hi Pastor Paolo:

Last Saturday, one of my nieces approached me (she’s currently in her 2nd year in college taking pharma) and she asked me about our Sunday services. I was surprised (but happy inside) that she asked me that question and so I told her all our Sunday services and the different locations of Victory where she can visit just in case she decides to attend one someday. Then she asked another question…another question…and I began to realize that the questions that she was throwing at me were all about the church. And so I began to use it as an opportunity to minister…then invite. I told her what happens in a service, how long does a service go,etc. Then I told her that we have this thing called Youth Service that is very appropriate to her age. As I began to describe to her what a youth service is, her other aunt (Mae Pearl) and I decided to invite her to this week’s Ignite Conference of which she is excited to go to with her friend. 🙂

We were already trying to call some friends and fellow staff from EN and Victory asking if there’s an extra 2 tickets that we can still get for our niece when my niece said, “Tita, remember you used to bring me to Kids Church? Kung nasaan nandun pa nga si Princess Punzalan? Naalala ko pa nga si Pastor Paolo Punzalan..sabi mo magkapatid sila.” And it was at this time na ako ang nagulat! 🙂 I can’t even remember that, yes, I brought her several times in Kids Church before when she was still a little kid. 🙂 Sabi ko sa kanya..”oo nga! dinala na nga pala kita before!” Now I remember, Pastor Paolo, that after the Kids Church service, she would show me the prizes na pinamimigay natin sa kanila noon. 🙂

I know you might have heard similar (more) stories like this before but I just want to share that indeed your labor is not in vain. She was around 7 or 6 years old at that time, and now she’s in her 2nd year in college and she still remembers your name and even ms. Princess’. 🙂

So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. (2 Corinthians 3:7)